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Claim: Sleep Position = Personality

About a year ago, Reuters reported on the results of some sleep research from Professor Chris Idzikowski, director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service and a visiting professor at the University of Surrey in southern England. The story is still online now at Wellspan.org and Netscape News. In summary, your sleep position is a reliable indicator of your personality. Here’s how it goes from Netscape’s version of the story:

Sleep Position No. 1: Crouched in the fetal position: Shy and sensitive

Sleep Position No. 2: Soldier position flat on the back with arms at the sides: Quiet and reserved

Sleep Position No. 3: On the side with legs outstretched and arms down: Social and easy-going

Sleep Position No. 4: On the side with legs outstretched and arms outstretched: Suspicious

Sleep Position No. 5: Flat on the tummy with hands at the sides of the head: Brash and gregarious

Sleep Position No. 6: On the back with outstretched arms and legs: Unassuming and a good listener

Apparently, the fetal position is the most common (51% of women sleep that way), and the most unusual is flat on the stomach (6.5% of all sexes). Also “once we adopt a preferred sleeping position, we rarely change it.”

LONDON (Reuters) – Whether it’s curled up in the fetal position, flat on the stomach or stretched out across the bed, the way people sleep reveals their personality, a British sleep expert said Tuesday.

Professor Chris Idzikowski, director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service and a visiting professor at the University of Surrey in southern England, has identified six common sleep positions and what they mean.

“We are all aware of our body language when we are awake but this is the first time we have been able to see what our subconscious says about us,” he said.

Crouched in the fetal position is the most popular sleep pattern and favored by 51 percent of women, according to the results of the study he conducted for a large hotel group. Fetal sleepers tend to be shy and sensitive while people who assume the soldier position, flat on their back with arms at their sides, are quiet and reserved.

Sleeping on one’s side with legs outstretched and arms down in what Idzikowski refers to as the log, indicates a social, easy-going personality. But if the arms are outstretched in the yearner position, the person tends to be more suspicious.

The freefall, flat on the tummy with the hands at the sides of the head, is the most unusual position. Only 6.5 percent of people prefer it and they are usually brash and gregarious.

Unassuming, good listeners usually adopt the starfish position – on the back with outstretched arms and legs.

Idzikowski, who identified the positions by comparing personality traits of people, their preferred way of sleeping and the most common positions, said once a sleeping style is adopted it is rarely changed.

“What’s interesting is that the profile behind the posture is often very different from what we would expect,” he added in a statement.

The position in which you sleep at night–whether it’s all curled up in a fetal position or sprawled out across the bed–reveals your personality, Reuters reports of new research from Britain’s Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service.

Led by Chris Idzikowski, the team has identified six common sleep positions and the personalities of the people who sleep that way. “We are all aware of our body language when we are awake, but this is the first time we have been able to see what our subconscious says about us,” he told Reuters.

The six basic sleeping positions and the personality traits:

Sleep Position No. 1: Crouched in the fetal position: Shy and sensitive

Sleep Position No. 2: Soldier position flat on the back with arms at the sides: Quiet and reserved

Sleep Position No. 3: On the side with legs outstretched and arms down: Social and easy-going

Sleep Position No. 4: On the side with legs outstretched and arms outstretched: Suspicious

Sleep Position No. 5: Flat on the tummy with hands at the sides of the head: Brash and gregarious

Sleep Position No. 6: On the back with outstretched arms and legs: Unassuming and a good listener

Crouched in the fetal position is most common way to sleep, assumed by fully 51 percent of women. The most unusual is on the stomach with only 6.5 percent of respondents saying they sleep this way. Once we adopt a preferred sleeping position, we rarely change it.

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22 thoughts on “Claim: Sleep Position = Personality”

I always thought I was the suspicious type, after looking over this information, I finally have rock solid proof. Thanks so much. I will now, owing to my suspicious nature, have to sneek up on people while sleeping, just to figure out how to deal with them…or to see if they are worried that I’m out to get them too.

is it possible to sleep in multiple posistions depending on circumstances or emotional state during that time in your life.for instance if i am very stressed about something will i sleep differently thatn if i was confident about that same situation?

what does it mean to be sleeping on the side with one leg (the one the upper side) curled up with the knee against the stomach and the other leg streched out.. with one hand folded under the ear thats touching the bed and the other hand folded somewhere in front of the face? ive been sleeping in this position since i was about 17..before that i used to sleep on my stomach..

Hey u can juge sleeping positions by th posture an that seemz like a protective sleeping position both handz are
Near th face) and u also seem ready to move out of th way with ur footing. Do u do any sports? Cuz tht
Could be a factor

I interchange between all but position #3 (how can you sleep on your side???). I LOVE to sleep in the soldier position and on my stomach, however, I am niether brash nor gragarious (I love being alone). So do we go with the one that is most used?

I have slept on my back ever since I can remember. It doesn’t surprise me that I possess the characteristic of a soldier. I fight for causes and am very argumentative in unjust situations. Not surprised because my name means warlike, and I’ve lived up to that name even before I knew what it meant.

I remember seeing a 30 (!) years old issue of “Cosmopolitan”, I think, or some other chick magazine, and it contained an article which was far more extensive and accurate than this tripe… I mean, now you need a PhD to come up with… THIS?

Where’s the arms-around-head position? Where’s the “ballet” position (on the back, one leg drawn high up, foot resting on the thigh). Where’s the “swastika” position (self-explanatory)?

My dear “Professors”, if you’re going to recycle old news, at least use all of its juicy parts. As it is, it’s just kindergarten-level pop psychology.

HI, I’d like to ask what kind of sleeping position is it when I sleep like the whole frontal part of the body is lying on the bed instead of sleeping on the back. I just couldn’t sleep when I sleep with other positions you’ve mentioned in this site. What kind of personality do I have? Pls reply as soon as you can

Ha, ok this is something new, in my opinion this is all crap! just like the astrology junk. I sleep in a different position almost every night, and I’m supposed to rarely sleep in different position? Wow, then I must redefine what it means to be “abnormal”. Who ever wrote this crap, I’m sorry to inform you, you wasted your time. Heh, this is a load of junk, and I feel sorry for those who come here, read it and then post saying “OH help me, please I do this and that, what does it mean?” It means nothing, people have their own unique style of sleeping, you can’t sit there and define what a sleeping position means just by looking at it. For you frigging professors know, i could sleep like a fetal baby but in fact actually be outgoing and a good listener. Well there you have it this is my intake and my own personal opinion. Want to contact me, I could care less, you can find me online almost 24/7 and usually I’m on this forum, doing my job as admin. http://www.invisionfree.com/Unknown_Fantasy/index.php?act=idx
I’m the admin there, so it isn’t hard to find me.

This isn’t something that needs to be taken so seriously. Its an overall outlook on something…a general idea. This was a survey taken from 1000 people (not a big crowd) and judging by who they are and how they sleep (on most occasions) conclusions were drawn. It says 5%of people change positions…however when this was taken the people were judged by how frequently they slept in a certain position. And even though the personality does not match exactly its supposed to be something that was popular amongst those who slept in that position…..jeez! Same thing with astrology, most people just look at what their sign means and say well thats not me exactly…..well next time also look up your year, the hour in which you were born because that shows your rising sign…look up mars and venus signs…and all the other factors and i am 100% sure it will describe you to a pin point! looking up a sign only gives you the GENERAL IDEA just like this does.